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Monday, January 17, 2011

"From the first few notes, I want to drop what I am doing and dance my ass off. I write a lot of reviews, but for some reason I have been feeling inadequate in my ability to really do this album justice. It's one of the must hear albums of 2010 and one of the best debut albums that I have heard in some time."

"All Night Drive" is the debut album from the Colorado based band Whitewater Ramble. The first thing that I noticed about this album was who the band turned to in regards to guests and production. Based on the instruments featured by WWR, one would immediately associate them with bluegrass/string music. Yet the guests on the album would lead the listener to associate WWR with the "Jamband" genre. Steve Molitz (Particle), Josh Clark (Tea Leaf Green), Pete Wall, and doubling as a guest and handling the production Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth), to name a few.

"Were there any survivors?" Was my initial thought.

Access to and utilization of musicians such as those listed above reflect a certain level of musicianship. Moreover it reflects a clear music direction... Jam. From the get go, WWR takes the opportunity to shine, with bright instrumentation, lyrics and variety. Songs like "Trouble", "Dead For Now" and "All Night Drive" fit very well in to the bluegrass/string genre, reflecting an almost String Cheese Incident/Railroad Earth influence. Tracks like "Pulled Pork", "Draw Strings" and "Riptide" lean more towards their rock influences. Then there are tracks like "Gypsy Funk" that offer a glimpse into the more "Dawg" style jazzgrass. In other words, All Night Drive offers something for everyone.

"Whitewater Ramble is next in line on the Colorado bluegrass scene."

Patrick Sites tears up the mandolin and electric mandolin with aggressive clarity and a rock approach. Adam Galblum displays a skillfully technical array of talent on the fiddle, that so often pulls the focus. Howard Montgomery's intense, driving, full sounding bass brings the groove heavy. Luke Emig's drumming is precise, danceable, and in perfect for what Whitewater does. Together, they create one of the most interesting and enjoyable mixes of genres that I have heard in some time.

All Night Drive is one of the best debut album's that I have heard from a band in a long time. It sucked me in from the beginning and left me wanting more. Yes, this album is worth purchasing without a second thought. However, the band is making it available for free on their website. Enjoy!